3 Ways Leaders Can Keep Learning All Year

by: Sean Morris

What makes a leader? It’s not enough to simply be in charge of something. Leaders are more than bosses; they’re innovators, coaches, and decision-makers. Above all, leaders are always on the cutting edge, learning as much as they can about the challenges ahead and the best way to meet them.

That’s why lifelong learning is key for leaders, whether you’re a public servant or running a business. The same leadership strategies that worked 20 years ago aren’t necessarily the right strategies for today. Without lifelong learning, leaders are prone to get stuck in their ways and, in turn, their organizations stuck in a rut.

Instead of letting your leadership skills lapse, commit yourself to lifelong learning this year, starting with these three steps.

Discover Your Leadership Style

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What type of leader are you? If you don’t have a strategic approach to leadership, you may struggle to get results. Choosing a leadership style helps you focus your efforts and become a more effective leader. U.S.News points out these leadership styles to explore as you work to improve your leadership skills.

• Coaching leadership: Coaching leaders aim to harness team members’ individual strengths through hands-on guidance and constructive feedback. The result? A strong group of individuals who come together to create a productive team.
• Observant leadership: Like coaching leadership, observant leadership emphasizes individual strengths within an organization. Observant leaders use emotional intelligence to tap into team members’ skills and motivations.
• Collaborative leadership: Collaborative leadership focuses on the team as a unit rather than on individuals. Collaborative leaders use brainstorming techniques to create an environment where everyone has a voice.
• Engaged leadership: This leadership style emphasizes engagement within organizations. Engaged leaders strive to discover what matters to employees in order to increase motivation and output.

Read Up On Today’s Top Leaders

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What does it take to lead a successful organization in 2020? While some leadership principles stay the same over time, the most effective strategies for leading modern organizations may surprise you. Read these books to learn how the leaders of today’s most profitable companies found success and the leadership strategies they used to get there.

• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson: Get a glimpse into the mind of one of the modern era’s most innovative CEOs in this biography of Apple’s Steve Jobs.
  
• Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-founder of Microsoft by Paul Allen: Learn how the other half of Microsoft’s empire built their tech business from the ground up.
• The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company by David Packard: An epic tale in bootstrapping, this book tells the story of how David Packard and Bill Hewlett built an enterprise out of their garage.
• Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash: A must-read for women leaders, this book explores how the founder of Mary Kay broke glass ceilings to achieve success.

Invest in Leadership Training

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Both in-person and online leadership training are readily available; and each has its own benefits. According to Harvard Business Review, there are three advantages you’ll get from in-person leadership training:

• Experiential learning: Instead of simply listening to people talk about leadership skills, trainings provide an opportunity to put theory to practice.
• Contextual learning: Too many leaders attend online courses then fail to put what they learned to practice in the real world. Instead of rehashed online content, face-to-face training is easily adapted to the present context.
• Out-of-the-ordinary activities: In-person training also allows for unstructured and out of the ordinary activities that help leaders develop their inner capacity to lead.
  

IIf time doesn’t allow for in-person training, however, online courses are a great way to enhance your leadership skills while balancing a busy schedule. Many online courses— such as these — offer content on-demand, allowing leaders to learn at their own pace, and are surprisingly affordable too.

Don’t rule out local leadership training opportunities! The Operation Project HOPE Leadership Academy is an excellent educational opportunity for leaders committed to building a brighter future for children in Los Angeles. This six-month program focuses on both “doing” and “being” to create empowered leaders who are ready to make a difference.

A leader’s work is never done — and neither is their education. In order to rise to the challenges of modern leadership and build an organization that’s destined to last, make lifelong learning part of your career plan. By investing in your personal leadership skills, you can build stronger, more resilient organizations from the top down.

OPH Newsletter

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OPH Quarterly Newsletter: Summer 2020

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Congratulations to the Operation Project HOPE Leadership Academy (OPHLA) Team 5 "Stars" as they celebrated their professional and leadership development achievements in early August at Lake Arrowhead. 

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OPH Leadership Academy Team 5 Fellow Tiffani Shares Her Growth Journey

by: Tiffani Laidler

Do you wanna know why I participate with OPH Leadership Academy?
 
Because I want to manifest more❣️: things, people and experiences that are rich in texture, performance and sentiment. I want to manifest more of what I LOVE into the fabric of my life and into the lives of others. I believe that every endeavor begins with “self work” and that’s the core of the OPHLA experience - Discovering, Managing and Unleashing better versions of OURSELVES. What I’ve come to better understand is that I’ve created a lot of stories in my head aka “how I see things”.  Some of these perspectives serve me and create results I enjoy, while others I do not. With the guidance of coach sessions,  buddy support, team calls, outdoor exercises, and a whole lot more, I get to put my foot to the pavement along my yellow brick road  and challenge myself towards Emerald City, also known as a better version of myself... 

OPHLA Manifest 101 begins with a quiet pause to reflect and inspire. The task is to create a clear vision of what I say I want. The intense power of a written goal becomes a visual picture (The Vision Board). The magical formula is the consistent and measured accountability from the coaches and team.  Lastly, we ALL have the opportunity to experience and reflect upon how we evolve, where we win or have fallen short. Self-development is truly a journey... not a destination. 
 
Xoxo, 
Tiffani

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Want to learn more about Operation Project HOPE's Leadership Academy?

The sixth class of our Leadership Academy will be starting in February 2021. We're so proud of the achievements and growth of our first five classes.

Email us at info@OperationProjectHOPE.org for more information.

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6th Annual Awards Luncheon Postponement Announcement

A Message from Operation Project HOPE President Edward Robles

Due to the global COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, Operation Project HOPE, has made a responsible and necessary decision, to postpone the Annual Luncheon originally scheduled for September 27, at Brookside golf course in Pasadena, CA.

Our leadership team and board of directors has been meeting frequently, and actively monitoring the situation to weigh the options of continuing our optimistic belief that we can deliver a program in excellence or postponing this celebratory event.

Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of all our attendees is the right thing to do during this historic time and we will find a time to celebrate our well deserved award recipients HOPEfully in the Spring 2021.

Our leadership team and board of directors continues to meet regularly to be innovative and creative on how to deliver our Mission and Vision to the children that deserve it, more than ever now, as we did with our Leadership Academy graduates.

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OPH Partners with SUN For Good to Help Promote Positive Affirmations

by: Sandy Dunbar

Operation Project HOPE, Inc. is proud to partner with SUN For Good and SUNCards for their upcoming "Get a Deck, Give a Deck" Kickstarter campaign.

Developed by an 11-year old philanthropist in-training, SUNCards are decks of cards that will help coach kids through stress and anxiety. Each card says something helpful to get kids through tough situations. There are two types of cards (Sunshine and Action cards), which feature lovable monsters to help convey each card's message. Sunshine Cards have messages of positive affirmations and tasks like "Find one thing to be excited about tomorrow" and "Remember that there is no one in the world like you, so celebrate all that makes you so special." Action cards are designed to help you refocus on something positive instead of your anxiety, worry or trouble. The card decks also includes meditation, breathing, and distraction exercises. 

For every SUNCards deck that gets purchased through the Kickstarter campaign, SUN For Good will donate a portion of the purchased card decks to Operation Project HOPE to distribute the decks to the local schools we serve.

More details regarding the SUN For Good Kickstarter campaign will be shared in the coming months. For more updates on the "Get a Deck, Give a Deck" Kickstarter campaign, follow SUN For Good on Facebook.

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